Eastern Iowa Community Colleges annually cooperates with Quad City Arts to bring world-renowned artists to eastern Iowa through the Visiting Artist Series.

This is the 39th year that artists will come to the Quad Cities through the program,
with six of them appearing at Clinton, Muscatine or Scott Community College. Two performances
will also be held in Maquoketa in cooperation with Clinton Community College.

The performances are free of charge, held in informal settings and open to the public.

The Visiting Artists are selected based on the quality of their work and the ability
to interact with audiences of diverse backgrounds and ages.

Jon Aanestad

Jon Aanestad and his band, The Sugarcane, have changed their tune in recent years, turning to
an edgier pop-rock sound that hones in on some of his songs that are closer to the
bone.

The band is focusing its irreverent pop sound, and taking on arrangements that fuse
modern pop, old-school soul and contemporary folk. Since 2009 and the release of Aanestad’s
EP, “Songs From A City”, the band has gained momentum playing in three festivals and
in some of the best venues in the Northeast. He has also toured nationally as a solo
act.

Aanestad’s self-titled debut EP, “Songs From A City” was a blend of Folk, R&B and
Pop. Released in 2009, it combined a sort of country sensibility with a soulful backbone.
“City Living” the last track, was an Al Green inspired tune while “High Heel Hangover”
was more of a pop anthem meant to catch an ear, which it did in the UK Songwriting
Contest where it landed as a semi-finalist song.

Break of Reality

Break of Reality has been described as having “excitement, originality, and an undeniable intensity
that louder, heavier bands only dream of. Break of Reality is going to win a Grammy
someday. Bank on it.” (Rochester City Newspaper).

Break of Reality is a cello rock band formed at the Eastman School of Music in 2003.
The band is filling concert venues around the country with fans eager to hear their
original music, as well as interpretations of music by Tool, Metallica, and System
of a Down. Their sound is cinematic, subdued and heavy all at once, and their live
audiences are equally diverse; fans of Led Zeppelin, Radiohead, and Yo-Yo Ma are finally
getting acquainted.

Maggie Brown

Maggie Brown is a tremendously talented singer and performer using her gift to not only entertain,
but educate as well. She is the daughter of the late Oscar Brown, Jr. a world renowned
composer, social activist, and legendary giant on the jazz music scene.

Mr. Brown passed on his artistic integrity to his daughter who now uses her own voice
to create images that excite and inspire. For 19 years, she has nationally toured
her one-woman show, “LEGACY: Our Wealth of Music” that follows the history and evolution
of African American music and covers a wide range of musical forms.

The mother of three young boys, Maggie sees the need to work through the arts to make
an impact on young lives. Her message fosters care and respect for words, music, history
and life. Miss Maggie’s vocal musicianship proudly heralds the LEGACY left by those
who came before us. “Music is a powerful force. We need to use our music, which is our cultural expression,
in a way that uplifts humanity, rather than simply for material gain,” said Brown.

Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater

Ensemble Español‘s extraordinary repertoire contains original work by Dame Libby Komaiko, Edo, Maria
Alba, Victorio Korjhan, Roberto Lorca and Spain’s legendary dancers and choreographers
Juan Mata & Ana Gonzalez, founding members and former first dancers of the National
Ballet of Spain.

Works by Timo Lozano, Edo, Paco Alonso, folkloric authority Juanjo Linares,and Flamenco
master Manolete all exemplify the Ensemble’s dedication to its cultural and artistic
mission. Dame Libby Komaiko was the first American artist in history to be decorated
with Spain’s highest honor- “Lazo de Dama” “Ribbon of the Dame” by the King of Spain
for her artistic, cultural and educational work throughout the United States.

Nnenna Freelon

Six-time GRAMMY® Award-nominee Nnenna Freelon is hailed as the “international voice of jazz.” She received a standing ovation from
20,000 in her star-making a cappella appearance on the Grammy Awards telecast.

Freelon has shared the stage or recordings with Jessye Norman, Herbie Hancock, Aretha
Franklin, Ray Charles, Take 6, Al Jarreau, the Count Basie Orchestra and more. Phenomenal
performances at Carnegie Hall to The Hollywood Bowl, the Monterey Jazz Festival to
the Newport Jazz Festival, and from Montreaux to London.

Freelon has been heard and seen in feature film in “What Women Want,” on In Performance
At The White House to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Thelonious Monk Institute
of Jazz, Variety’s The Children’s Charity, on the #1 TV hit Mad Men, on the Jerry
Lewis’ Labor Day Muscular Dystrophy Telethon, and many more.

Sweet Plantain

Nobody bridges the gap between generations or musical genres like Sweet Plantain, a refreshingly new string quartet. Artfully fusing the western classical traditions
in which they were trained with the hip-hop, jazz improv, and Latin rhythms on which
they were raised, their original writing and live shows educate and entertain.

Separately hailing from the Bronx, New Jersey and Venezuela, together these musicians
give voice to a sound that is contemporary, multicultural and very New York. The group
strives to give voice to a contemporary, urban, Latino sound therefore much of the
group’s repertoire is rooted in improvisation.